2012 News

Calls for Expression of Interest for Urban and Regional Analysts to Support EU Cohesion Policy

ERSA is pleased to announce that it has been asked by the Directorate-General Regional Policy of the European Commission to help support the promotion of the "New Generation of Cohesion Policy" Programmes.

The ERSA Board, through its Executive Director Richard Kelly will also actively promote the networking between researchers and institutional actors in order to strengthen a dedicated European network! For more information, please contact Richard Kelly by email richard.kelly@ersa.org

As it is stressed below, it is reminded to "all ERSA Members" that experts should register now, as many of the issues to be considered are already beginning to arise.

The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Dr Johannes Hahn gave keynote lectures at both the Regional Studies Conference in Newcastle in April 2011 and at the European Regional Science Congress in Barcelona in September 2011. At both conferences Commissioner Hahn announced that the European
Commission would be seeking to mobilise the European-wide academic expertise in urban and regional issues in order to facilitate, strengthen, and improve the new generation of EU Cohesion Policy programmes.

Exactly as Commissioner Hahn stated at both conferences, the European Commission has now opened a call for urban and regional analysts from all over Europe to offer their skills and knowledge in order to help with the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the new generation of Cohesion Policy programmes over the coming years. In order for urban and regional analysts to become part of the network of experts which the European Commission can draw on to support EU Cohesion Policy, two Calls for
Expression of Interest have been opened in which analysts are requested to register their details and areas of expertise with the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional Policy. The web link for the two calls for urban and regional analysts to register as experts working with the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional Policy is:

The two calls which experts are specifically requested to respond to are:

(20/03/2012) Call for expression of interest to establish a list of experts to assist the Directorate-General for Regional Policy in the appraisal, implementation and monitoring of cohesion policy interventions.

Both of these calls are very important. Indeed, this is an important moment in the history of EU Cohesion Policy and a unique chance for the European-wide expertise in urban and regional issues to help deliver the well-designed, well-run and well-evaluated policies we want to see. There are a very large number of
programmes and projects within EU Cohesion Policy operating in different Member States, in different regions, and which focus on different thematic priorities and with different objectives. A wide range of expertise is required covering issues such as innovation; R&D; energy and resources; entrepreneurship;
environment and climate change; human capital; information and communication technologies; transport; real estate and land use; social inclusion; heritage and culture; infrastructure; labour markets; demographic transitions; housing; rural areas; maritime regions and fisheries; governance and institutions; public
administration; combating poverty; and experts in all of these fields are needed from all parts of the EU.

It is important that experts start registering now, as many of the issues to be considered are already beginning to arise.

Philip McCann
Special Adviser to the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn